The Truth Comes Out
by Matilda
Summary: Hoshi encounters a not so pleasant reminder of her time on Risa. CiaC


Title: Hoshi's Really Bad Day  
Author: Matilda7  
email: celp77@yahoo.com  
Rating: PG-13?  
Codes: S, Tu, R CiaC   
Summary: Hoshi encounters a not so pleasant consequence of her time on Risa. Challenge Words: Ravis, Towering, Underwear.  
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, that's Paramount's job. 

Hoshi looked at the planet below her, its mixture of blue, green and white swirls reminding her vaguely of Earth. Memories of home though, were not what preoccupied her now. It was the name of the planet that had captured her thoughts, leading them to a night two years ago in a place far from here. 

Hoshi had never told anyone on Enterprise about that night on Risa. Even when Trip and Malcolm incessantly teased her about studying on a vacation to a pleasure planet, still she had kept the story to herself. 

By now it seemed silly to tell anyone, it was afterall, two years ago and only one night. Not really worth mentioning. There was also the fact that she was a little afraid of how everyone would react. It frustrated her but sometimes she still felt like the baby of the crew, a younger sister. She had this horrible picture in her mind of Trip and Malcolm lecturing her with stern expressions about getting involved with strange men, and then running off to find Ravis and rip his head off. Hoshi cringed. Perhaps it was best to let the story go untold. 

The planet grew larger on the shuttle screen and Hoshi felt a wave of nausea pass over her. Of all the planets in the galaxy, they had to have the linguistics conference here, Ravis's home planet. 

At least I can already speak some of the language, Hoshi thought to herself, her inner voice tinged with sarcasm. She tried to assure herself there wasn't any chance they would see Ravis here, there would be millions of people attending the city wide conference. Still , Hoshi suddenly wished the captain hadn't sent Malcolm and Trip with her. 

She didn't have much time to dwell on it though, the details of the city below began to come into focus on the viewscreen and then they were landing. 

******************************** 

Two hours later Hoshi had forgotten her earlier anxiety. There were, as she had been told, millions of people in the city, and thousands of alien languages bombarding her from all directions. She was in linguistics heaven. 

The first event wasn't until later that night so Hoshi was exploring the city with Trip and Malcolm while they waited. Or rather Hoshi was exploring, Malcolm was looking paranoid, and Trip was looking at anything that appeared to be female. Men, Hoshi thought to herself. 

She stopped for a moment to listen to two aliens talking outside what appeared to be a restaurant of some sort. They had a beautiful melodic language and she was intrigued by the sounds and movements they were making. 

Trip and Malcolm continued on a few feet and started around a corner. Suddenly Malcolm stopped, sending Trip, who had been staring at a particularly shapely woman, face first to the ground. Hoshi watched them out of the corner of her eye, exasperated at the scene they were causing.

"Hey," Trip said, "Watch were you're going Malcolm." 

Malcolm did not appear to be paying attention. He was frozen in the exact position he had stopped, staring at something down the street. 

"Malcolm" Trip waived his hands in front of his friend's face. "Malcolm what the heck is wrong with you, " Getting no response he turned to see what he was looking at. 

"Well I'll be...," Trip said, eyes fixed on the end the street, a huge grin forming on his face. 

Malcolm was at this point trying to form words but not succeeding very well. 

"Hoshi," Trip said not moving his eyes, "I think you better see this." Hoshi tried to ignore him, but having gotten no response, Trip called her name again. 

She sighed and turned to where the two men were standing, staring down the street. _They look ridiculous_, Hoshi thought. _If they are looking at some woman, I'm going to shoot them both_. _I'll set my phaser on stun, but I will shoot them._

Reluctantly she left behind the sounds of the alien language to join her two companions at the corner. 

"What are you two staring at," she asked in an annoyed tone. 

Neither man answered, Malcolm stood with his mouth open and Trip just grinned like a fool, so Hoshi turned to see for herself. 

Suddenly she found herself frozen where she stood just like Trip and Malcolm. The expression on her face definitely resembled Malcolm's though, there was not a trace of a smile. 

"Nice, um....legs," Trip said, his grin getting even bigger. 

"Commander," Malcolm said harshly, tearing his eyes away from the end of the street long enough to glare at Trip. He didn't even look at Hoshi, he didn't seem able to. 

Hoshi ignored them both, she just stared, her eyes starting at ground level and raising until she was looking several building stories up. With every second her face got redder and redder. 

Completely unaware that anyone was around her, or that more than a few people had stopped to see what they were looking at, Hoshi broke into a sprint down the street. She never took her eyes off her destination, she just ran. 

"What have I done, what have I done," kept running through her head like a mantra. Finally she reached the end of the street and found herself staring at a statue which was towering above her. 

"What have I done," Hoshi said, out loud this time. 

"I don't know but it sure must have been good," Trip said from behind her, his eyes following the curves of the statue. 

"Commander," Malcolm reprimanded again but even he couldn't stop from smiling. 

There in front of them stood a giant statue of Hoshi, poising provocatively in nothing but a pair of lacy underwear. Underwear that looked suspiciously like those she had been wearing on a certain night two years ago. The carving was intricately detailed, leaving no possibility of passing off the subject as someone else.

"Well Hoshi, you, uh, sure made an impression on someone," Trip said. 

Hoshi glared at him, this was way worse than anything she could imagine. There was no way this would stay between the three of them, and how could she ever stay in this city now. Hoshi desperately wished she could call for an emergency transport but she wasn't sure finding a giant naked statue of yourself on an alien planet qualified under Enterprise protocol. 

Tearing her eyes away from the statue Hoshi read the inscription at the base, The Muse, by Ravis, celebrated sculptor of the Nishinga Provence. Well now there was no question, it was definitely her, and in her underwear! _Linguist my butt_, Hoshi thought, angry that Ravis had lied to her. What had she expected from a stranger on a pleasure planet. 

"Hoshi," Malcolm's voice interrupted her thoughts, he was back in full security mode, " I think perhaps we should find this Ravis person, if this really is you, you might be in danger." 

Hoshi looked at the statue, "I'm not in danger, other than the fact that I could die of embarrassment right now." 

"You don't really know this guy do you?," Trip asked looking at her with amazement. 

"Of course she doesn't know him, he's obviously some pervert who saw Hosh-" Malcolm stopped, his eyes narrowing as he seemed to realize the lack of logic in his theory. He looked at Trip for a moment, and then back at Hoshi disbelief clear in his expression. "Do you.... know him?" 

"Well actually yes," she said, looking at the ground. 

"What!," both men said in unison. 

From the looks on their faces, Hoshi knew just what they thought of this new information. She glared at them. Honestly they chase after anything that appears to be female and she was supposed to remain innocent and chaste. What century were they living in?

"It's a long story," Hoshi said, through clenched teeth "and if you don't mind I think I'd like to get out of here. So if you are finished passing judgement, let's get back to what we came here to do, and leave the gossip for later." Not waiting for an answer she turned and walked back the way she had come. She didn't particularly care if they followed her. 

She kept her head down with her hands over her face, desperately hoping no one would make the connection between the statue and her. When she reached the corner of the street though, she stopped to take one last look. Trip and Malcolm came up behind her, and having found some semblance of self control they kept their eyes in another direction. 

For the first time since the statues discovery, Hoshi smiled. She decided to look at the bright side, the silver lining as it were, at least no one would look at her as a little sister anymore. Especially after she told them the story.

Still smiling she turned and walked off down the street. "It happened on Risa," she began, rolling her eyes as Trip and Malcolm sprinted to catch up to her. This was going to be fun.


End file.
